Naomi Campbell Tried To #FreeTheNipple On Instagram

Naomi Campbell is the latest female celebrity to share a topless photo of herself on Instagram, only to have it taken down the same day. The supermodel joins a growing list of famous women like Chrissy Teigen and Scout Willis to try, then fail, to #FreeTheNipple. The photo in question, posted and removed yesterday, was a stunning portrait of Campbell from the waist up — a promotional shot from an upcoming book. Given her forward, unabashed pose, it's easy to believe that Campbell chose to post the photo in direct defiance of Instagram's policy around female nudity. The photo-sharing platform has encountered notable resistance in response to its banning of certain hashtags that it had apparently considered risky territory. While Instagram has returned many of the formerly banned hashtags to the people, #FreeTheNipple doesn't have a complete all-clear. While it's still searchable, it remains under a watchful eye, as Instagram officially prohibits sharing "nude" or "partially nude" photos via the service. No one, not even bona fide supermodels, can hide from the social media giant's gaze. It's great that #FreeTheNipple has yet to be banned, but seeing who is penalized for using the hashtag (even in the awareness-boosting style in which it was originally intended to be used) and who is exempt is pretty eye-opening. Miley Cyrus' cheeky posts from this summer revealed a gaping hole in Instagram's policy — although she was half, if not completely, naked in these photos, the emoji superimposed over her breasts allowed for the photos to stay online. Campbell also made sure to tweet the photo, so at least in some online spaces, her nipples can be freed.